Woman to be sentenced for ‘cyber stalking’ her supervisor

A WOMAN, described in court as a “cyber stalker”, is to be sentenced next month as punishment for multiple e-mails she sent her supervisor at her workplace under false names.

Pravina Walabh, 33, a former candidate attorney with a prominent Cape Town law firm, is to be sentenced on 24 counts of fraud, five of sending out false information on the internet, with intent that the recipients react to it, three of crimen injuria, one of intimidation, one of violation of the Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Act, and an offence relating to her unauthorised access to, interception of, or interference with data.

She appeared on Tuesday in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Bellville before magistrate Sabrina Sonnenberg. Prosecutor Juan Agulhas called for a prison sentence, while defence lawyer Rheaz Khan countered that a fine, coupled with correctional supervision involving house arrest, would meet the interests of justice as well as society.

The prosecutor described Walabh as “young, beautiful and intelligent”. She holds a BSc and a law degree. The prosecutor said it was puzzling why such a woman would commit “such despicable” acts.

Walabh was not a “woman scorned”, he told the court. In her judgment last year, the magistrate said Walabh had a fixation with her supervisor – one of the senior partners – who had become engaged to an attorney at another firm. Walabh’s motto was, “Don’t get mad, get even”, the magistrate said.

As a candidate attorney, Walabh was keen to attend court proceedings, but her supervisor kept allocating cases to another candidate attorney, which upset Walabh.

Walabh denied any fixation with her supervisor.

The charges related mainly to Facebook e-mails and SMS messages and, according to the charge sheet, her method of operation was to create false Facebook profiles involving her supervisor and his fiancée.

Walabh was arrested in September 2012, after which the two victims received no more e-mails.

The magistrate ruled that the only reasonable inference to be drawn was that Walabh was responsible for this. – ANA